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EntrePass

Eligibility Criteria

EntrePass is open to all nationalities/citizenships.

You can apply for an EntrePass if you meet both conditions:

  • Have started, or intend to start, a private limited company registered with ACRA that is venture-backed or owns innovative technologies.

    • If registered, the company must be less than 6 months old on the date you apply.

    • If not registered, you can do so after you know the outcome of your application.

  • Meet any of the following innovative criteria as an Entrepreneur, Innovator or Investor listed below. You do not need to meet all of the criteria for each respective profile, but having more qualifications would help your application. 

Entrepreneur

1. Has funding from a government-recognized VC or business angel

The registered company raised funding of at least $100,000 from a government investment vehicle, venture capitalist (VC) or business angel that is recognised by a Singapore Government agency.

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Examples include:

  • Vertex Ventures

  • Qualified investors on the StartupSG Equity scheme

  • Venture partners on the Early Stage Venture Fund (ESVF) scheme

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2. Is an incubatee at a government-incubator or accelerator​

The registered company is an existing incubatee at an incubator or accelerator in Singapore that is recognised by the Government.

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Examples include:

  • Incubators or accelerators in Enterprise Singapore’s Startup SG Accelerator Programme

  • Accredited Mentor Partners under Startup SG Founder

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3. Has business network and entrepreneurial track record​

You have significant business experience or network and promising entrepreneurial track record of starting highly-scalable businesses and want to start and operate an innovative tech or venture-backed business in Singapore.​

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Requirements

You must fulfil any of the following:

  • You have founded and sold a tech company.

  • You have raised significant funding from investors for a current or past venture.

  • You have been or are being incubated by an internationally renowned incubator or accelerator.

  • You can demonstrate how your business networks and track record can contribute to the growth of your proposed business in Singapore (e.g. produce a letter of intent from prospective customers).

Innovator

1. Holds an intellectual property

​You or the registered company holds an intellectual property (IP), registered with an approved national IP institution, which delivers a significant competitive advantage to your proposed business that cannot be easily replicated.

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Requirements

You must fulfil all of the following:

  • Your IP must be registered with an approved national IP institution.

  • Your IP delivers a competitive advantage to your proposed business and cannot be easily replicated.

  • One of the shareholders or the company must be the owner of the IP.

  • Expired IP can be considered as long as one of the shareholders is the inventor of the IP.

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2. Has a research collaboration with an IHL or research institute in Singapore

​The registered company has an ongoing research collaboration with a research institution under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), an Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) in Singapore.

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Examples include:

  • A*STAR Research Institutes

  • Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) entities

  • Institutes of Higher Learning (e.g. National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore Management University, the Polytechnics)

  • Recognised non-profit and private sector research groups

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Requirements

You must fulfil all of the following:

  • The research collaboration must be related to your proposed business.

  • The research institution needs to provide a contact person to verify details of the research collaboration.

  • You must be involved with ongoing research collaboration.

  • Contract of services is not considered to be research collaboration.

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3. Has extraordinary achievements in key areas of expertise

​You have exceptional technical or domain expertise in an area related to your proposed business that is either venture-backed or owns innovative technologies.

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Requirements

You must fulfill all of the following:

  • Your area of expertise must be related to your proposed business.

  • You have outstanding achievements or received international recognition in your area of technical or domain expertise.

Investor

Has investment track record​

​You have a good track record of investing in businesses and want to grow new or existing businesses in Singapore by starting an investment-related company.

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Requirements

You are willing to invest a substantial amount of money in other local tech startups and can provide supporting documents to show that you have one of the following:

  • A strong track record of investing in and driving growth of highly-scalable businesses.

  • Plans (i.e. quantum, period and pipeline) to invest in other local innovative or tech startups.

  • At least 8 years' experience as a senior management professional or executive in a large corporation that can help to scale up local innovative or tech startups.

More Information on Eligibility

To find out more about the eligibility criteria, you can contact Enterprise Singapore at entrepassenquiry@enterprisesg.gov.sg.

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To find out more about application and appeal matters, send us an online feedback. To submit an appeal for your EntrePass application, please use this online form.

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Businesses That Are NOT ELIGIBLE

​The following businesses are not eligible for an EntrePass:

  • Coffee shops, hawker centres, food courts.

  • Bars, night clubs, karaoke lounges.

  • Foot reflexology, massage parlours.

  • Acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal dispensing businesses.

  • Employment agencies.

  • Geomancy business.

  • What is my firm’s sector and subsector under COMPASS for EP applications?
    Firms will be grouped into relevant sectors and subsectors based on their principal business activity, as declared to ACRA. This applies to firms whose operations cut across different sectors. Sectors refer to broad industry groupings based on the Singapore Standard Industry Classification, such as the financial services sector. Some sectors that are more varied are split into more granular subsectors for the purpose of benchmarking of local PMET share. You should review and update what your firm declares to ACRA as its primary business activity, to ensure it is current and accurate. More information on your firm’s sector and subsector classification will be available before September 2023 when COMPASS takes effect.
  • Can I find out more information on how my EP application will fare on COMPASS?
    Salary benchmarks by sector Salary benchmarks of the 65th to 90th percentile for each sector will be published by December 2022. These are only indicative, ahead of COMPASS being implemented. The exact values will be updated annually, based on latest survey findings. Local PMET benchmarks by subsector The Workforce profile menu on myMOM Portal provides employers with an overview of their workforce profile. The Workforce profile menu will be enhanced so that you can see how your firm’s local PMET share compares to your industry peers. This new feature will be available by December 2022, before COMPASS takes effect. Assessment tool When COMPASS takes effect, we will offer an assessment tool for employers to get an indicative COMPASS score for their prospective EP candidate before submitting an EP application. You will be able to get an estimate of how your application is scored on each COMPASS criterion. The tool will be available by September 2023.
  • How will the Shortage Occupation List for EP applications on COMPASS be identified? When will the exact occupations be announced?
    The COMPASS Shortage Occupation List (SOL) will be developed through a robust evaluation process involving the tripartite partners. The review will take into account both quantitative and qualitative evidence of labour shortages. Occupations will be considered for inclusion on the SOL based on: Their relevance to Singapore’s economic priorities The degree and nature of labour shortage The sector’s progress in developing the local pipeline in the medium term to address these shortages MOM and sector agencies will commence the SOL evaluation process in the second half of 2022, taking into account tripartite input. Sector agencies may consult the relevant industry associations, businesses and stakeholders. Companies who wish to provide feedback on the SOL may contact your sector agency. We will announce the first SOL in March 2023. Thereafter, MOM will regularly review the SOL to ensure responsiveness to industry needs, and existing shortages are not entrenched over the long term. For experienced tech professionals Experienced tech professionals applying for specific tech occupations on the SOL may be eligible for a longer 5-year duration EP, if they meet eligibility criteria. The specific occupations eligible will be provided when the SOL is announced.
  • What other conditions must my candidate meet to earn Shortage Occupation List bonus points on COMPASS for EP applications?
    For candidates applying under the COMPASS Shortage Occupation List (SOL) track, and that would not have passed COMPASS without the SOL bonus points: MOM will conduct additional verification checks that they have the specialised skills required to perform the shortage occupation. For example, we may request for relevant qualifications, certificates and accreditations. They will be issued an occupation-restricted EP tied to their employment in the specific shortage occupation. You will be required to notify MOM if they need to be redeployed to a different job role. The candidate will be subject to reassessment of their eligibility for an EP. If your candidate would have passed COMPASS even without the SOL bonus points, they will not be subject to the additional verification checks or occupational restrictions, unless they are applying for a longer 5-year duration EP (see below). For experienced tech professionals Those with skills in shortage who apply for a longer 5-year duration EP will be subject to the same verification checks and occupational restrictions. These checks and restrictions will apply even if the applicants pass COMPASS without the SOL bonus points.
  • What programmes and criteria are included in the Strategic Economic Priorities bonus on COMPASS for EP applications?
    The programmes and qualifying criteria for the COMPASS Strategic Economic Priorities bonus will be carefully curated by the participating economic agencies to ensure that qualifying firms are aligned with its objectives of supporting innovation or internationalisation activities, while developing the local workforce or ecosystem. Examples of programmes that could be included are: ESG’s Scale-up SG, which aims to help high-growth local companies scale effectively and become future global champions EDB’s Research and Innovation Scheme for Companies (RIS(C)), which supports and anchors companies’ technology development and innovation activities in Singapore More details, including the finalised list of government programmes, eligibility criteria and application process, will be announced by March 2023.
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